Cambridgeshire

Located on the western border of East Anglia, the
landscape of the north is shaped by the Fens, a vast
region of wetlands, rivers and water ways. Towards
the south, the market town and cathedral of Ely stands
on a slight hill, which in medieval times was surrounded
by water, giving it the nickname the 'ship of the
fens'. Further to the south is the
county capital of Cambridge,
famous for its University. The land rises gently to
the south of Cambridge forming low undulating chalk
downs, which include the Gog Magog Hills.

The Fens covers some 1500 square miles across the
top of Cambridgeshire and west Norfolk, supporting
over 250 unique species of wildlife. Fenland eels have
been trapped and eaten here for many generations. They
were once so important to the economy that during medieval
times a bag of eels could be used in place of money
and every village would pay its taxes in eels. They
were commonly caught using hives made of woven willow,
once a traditional industry all along the River Ouse,
dating as far back as the first century. Today eels
are an endangered species and can only be caught under
licence.

County Flower:

Local Delicacies:

The Meaning of Cambridgeshire

The name Cambridge is a mixture of both Anglo-Saxon
and Brittonic. Originally called Grantebrige, 'the
bridge over the River Granta'. The river was called
the Granta before the Norman Conquest but was later
renamed the Cam. Granta is a Celtic name whose meaning
is associated with swamps or marshes. Cam is a popular
Celtic river name, which means crooked or winding.
Originally the region was inhabited by the Iceni tribe,
once lead by the famous Boudica during the uprising
of Ad 60, who were later defeated by the Romans.